The Department of Agriculture has lifted the ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from California and South Dakota.
The DA imposed the temporary ban on California in January this year and on South Dakota in November last year after confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 subtype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has killed millions of infected birds and poultry. Bird flu sometimes infect some mammals, including humans.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. signed the Memorandum Order 37 earlier this week allowing the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products such as meat, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, and semen to be used for artificial insemination, from California and South Dakota that haven’t reported new bird flu outbreaks since June and May this year, respectively.
The multi-billion poultry sector is a major contributor to Philippine agriculture, accounting for around 18 percent of farm output, and vital to food security.
The poultry sector saw a 2 percent increase in the first half this year, with chicken production as driver. Central Luzon reported the highest inventory of 33.68 million birds, followed by CALABARZON with 27.32 million, and Northern Mindanao with 25.87 million.
